Jaundice in Newborns: Symptoms and Causes

The March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating stronger, healthier babies, says on their website that 60 percent of healthy babies are diagnosed with jaundice.

They describe jaundice as “a yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. It is caused by a build-up in the blood of a yellow pigment called bilirubin.”

The March of Dimes website goes on to say the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all newborns are have their bilirubin levels checked (to check for jaundice) within the first days of life, before they leave the hospital. They say that babies should be examined again for jaundice by a health care provider at three to five days of age as this is when bilirubin levels are typically the highest.